Birdguard for roof ventilator cover



July 22, 1969 V P. PAINTER 3,45 7

BIRDGUARD FOR ROOF VENTILATOR COVER Filed Jan. 2, 1968 INVENTOR. PHILLIP PA N T ER United States Patent 3,456,573 BIRDGUARD FOR ROOF VENTILATOR COVER Phillip Painter, Indianapolis, Ind., assignor to Jenn-Air Corporation, Shadeland, Ind., a corporation of Indiana Continuation-impart of application Ser. No. 690,255, Dec. 13, 1967. This application Jan. 2, 1968, Ser. No. 694,909

Int. Cl. F24f 7/02 U.S. CI. 98-42 3 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This disclosure is to a guard against birds, rodents or the like, for use on roof ventilator covers which will permit air passage therethrough. The guard is a flat rectangular wire mesh screen which is pivotally supported from the ventilator cover. The point of pivotal support is so located on the cover that by its own weight is adapted to lie at an angle to and against the top of a building curb on which the cover is mounted.

Cross-reference to related application This application is a continuation in-part of my application Ser. No. 690,255 filed Dec. 13, 1967.

Background of the invention In the past it has been common practice to provide a ventilator with a screen which was positioned between the cover and base and secured therebetween by clips, screws or the like. By the disclosure in this application an improved arrangement is provided wherein a flat screen is pivoted from the cover from a position so as to lie against the mounting curb. The cover is placed in position on the curb and the screen permitted to fall into position against the curb.

Brief description of the drawing FIGURE 1 is a side elevation showing a ventilator cover in position on a building roof curb.

FIGURE 2 is a bottom view of the cover showing the wire mesh bird or rodent guards pivotally supported therefrom in various positions.

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged fragmentary cross-sectional view taken along line AA of FIGURE 1 showing the cover mounted on a building curb, and further showing the screen pivotally carried on the cover and lying against the building curb.

FIGURE 4 is a slightly enlarged side view of the screen shown between the walls to which it is mounted.

FIGURE 5 is a cross-sectional view of a plurality of covers in nested relationship for shipment or storage.

Description of the preferred embodiment A ventilator cover, designated generally by the numeral 10, is shown in elevation in FIGURE 1 where it is mounted on top of a pre-constructed building roof curb 12.

A curb of the general type referred to herein is represented in U.S. Patent No. 3,085,647, FIGURE 3, but need not necessarily include the attenuating bafie. The curb sides defines a closedbox which frames an opening in a building roof, and extend about one foot in height above the roof level.

Applicants ventilator cover is adapted to set on a curb and be supported from the corners thereof so to overlie the entire curb and opening. For a disclosure of the cover and the arrangement for mounting the ventilator cover on a pre-constr ucted curb in overlying relationship, see my 3,456,573 Patented July 22, 1969 ice co-pending patent application Ser. No. 690,255 filed Dec. 13, 1967, referred to above.

The ventilator cover includes a top 14 which may have a slight pitch from the center toward its sides 16. These sides flare outwardly and downwardly to define a weather protective skirt to protect the curb from the weather and to establish an opening for air passage between the cover and top of the curb defined by caps 18.

Skirt portions 16 on each side of the cover define therebetween recessed corners 20 which include outwardly directed platforms 22 defining footings adapted for nesting relationship with corners of cap 18 of curb 12.

A plurality of rectangularly shaped woven wire mesh or screen guards 24 are pivotally carried underneath flared portion 16 of cover 10. This screen is shown in detail in FIGURE 4 where rod 26 is provided along one side for strengthening and to provide means for pivotally securing the screen in place. Cap screws 28 may be used at opposite ends of the rod for pivotally securing the screen on the cover adjacent corners 20.

As can be seen in the drawing of FIGURE 2, the screens are of a length just short of the length of skirts 16 so that there is no interference with their pivotal movement but close enough to prevent entry from the outside.

As can be seen in the sectional view of FIGURE 3, rod 26 of the screen is pivotally secured to the cover at a point above and slightly to one side of curb cap 18. The outer dimensions of the curb or cap 18 are greater than corresponding dimensions between parallel rods 26. Therefore, the guard or screen 24 bears against curb cap 18 as it swings to a downward position. Thus, a guard is provided across the air opening between the cover and curb cap which is adapted to fall into position against the outside of the curb when the cover is positioned thereon.

FIGURE 5 shows a plurality of the covers in nested relationship for shipping wherein the screens are pivoted to lie along one side the skirt portions and are there held in temporary position by tape or a clip. Once a cover is installed in position on a curb and secured thereto (by means not shown), the screen guards are released from the position shown in FIGURE 5 and permitted to swing into the position shown in FIGURE 3.

By the arrangement herein, I have disclosed a birdguard for a ventilator cover which is inexpensive, easy to install and quite effective. Furthermore, the ventilator, once unsecured from the curb, can be lifted off without additional manipulation to release the screen from the cur While I have disclosed one embodiment of my invention, it is obvious that variations and modifications can be made thereto without departing from the invention. I rely on the claims herein to define my invention.

I claim:

1. In a ventilator cover adapted to overlie the area bounded by and be supported from a pro-constructed building curb wherein the curb defines a tubular section framing an opening in a building roof thereby permitting passage of air between the building and atmosphere through the curb and underneath the ventilator cover, the improvement residing in an animal guard in combination with the cover comprising:

guard means,

said guard means adapted to be positioned between the cover and the curb and having openings therethrough of a size to permit free passage of air and to prevent entry of animals,

said guard means being pivotally supported from the cover,

said point of pivotal suspension from the cover being so located that gravitational pull on the guard tends to move it about the pivot toa location to bridge the said point of pivotal suspension on the cover being space between the ventilator cover and the curb, located generally inwardly of the outer periphery of said guard being adapted to pivot on the cover to a posithe curb when said cover is in position thereon so tion lying along one side of a skirt portion of said that gravitational pull on said guard causes it to cover to permit nesting of one said cover within swing about said pivot whereby a lower portion of another. J said guard is adapted to be swung into contact with 2. In a ventilator cover adapted to overlie the area the curb so as to establish a guard between said cover bounded by and be supported from a pre-constructed :and curb. building curb wherein the curb defines a tubular section 3. The claimed subject matter of claim 2 wherein said framing an opening in a building roof thereby permitting 10 screen is adapted to be swung into contact against a porpassage of air between the building and atmosphere tion of the outer periphery of the curb. through the curb and underneath the ventilator cover, the improvement residing in an animal guard in combination References Cited with the cover comprising: 7 UNITED STA PATENTS guard means of generally rectangular shape, a 15 said guard means adapted to be positioned between the 5 cover and the curb having openlngs therethrough of 3,209,669 10/1965 Bayne 98 42 a size to permit free passage of air and to prevent entry of animals,

said rectangular guard means being pivotally supported 20 along an upper edge thereof from the cover and adapted to hang downwardly from the pivot in re- 52 72 sponse to gravitational pull,

WILLIAM E. WAYNER, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 

